Article

In plantar pressure measurement, both peak pressure and pressure time integral
are used as variables to assess plantar loading. However, pressure time integral
shows a high concordance with peak pressure. Many researchers and clinicians use
Novel software (Novel GmbH Inc., Munich, Germany) that calculates this variable
as the summation of the products of peak pressure and duration per time sample,
which is not a genuine integral of pressure over time. Therefore, an alternative
calculation method was introduced. The aim of this study was to explore the
relevance of this alternative method, in different populations. Plantar pressure
variables were measured in 76 people with diabetic polyneuropathy, 33 diabetic
controls without polyneuropathy and 19 healthy subjects. Peak pressure and
pressure time integral were obtained using Novel software. The quotient of the
genuine force time integral over contact area was obtained as the alternative
pressure time integral calculation. This new alternative method correlated less
with peak pressure than the pressure time integral as calculated by Novel. The
two methods differed significantly and these differences varied between the foot
sole areas and between groups. The largest differences were found under the
metatarsal heads in the group with diabetic polyneuropathy. From a theoretical
perspective, the alternative approach provides a more valid calculation of the pressure time integral. In addition, this study showed that the alternative
calculation is of added value, along peak pressure calculation, to interpret
adapted plantar pressures patterns in particular in patients at risk for foot ulceration.
Diabète
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Langue : ANGLAIS